As Yayoi (a powerful mystic) plays off her latest encounter with a demon with her father, Kihei, little does the man realize that the cat that seemingly playfully attacks her knee is the very same demon she just defeated--the demon king himself, Ura, who loathes being suppressed in such a 'cute' form and swears that no matter what one day, he will exact his revenge.

Yet Yayoi only ignores his pitiful threats as she hears a cry from outside and sadly finds the scattered carcasses of small animals littering the yard. She reassures her father that even though the little creatures had their souls sucked out of them, she as usual would take care of everything.

Attending to the lifeless bodies, she performs the memorial services while the observant Ura remembers how he came to be in such a weak, pathetic form -- and of how he now knows all he has to do is remove the beads that encircle his neck to return to his real form.

Armed with his newfound wisdom, Ura leaps out at Yayoi and the rosary is easily lifted from his neck. He shifts back into his demon form only to learn from Yayoi that the rosary has to be destroyed completely, not just removed, in order for him to regain all of his powers.

But there is no time to discuss the issue further as another demon appears on the scene, ready to devour poor Yayoi. But she shows no fear as she opens the Spirit Wheel and readily defeats her foe. It is now she asks Ura why so many demons are after her and he reveals to her how a trial has been started to see who can devour the most human power, the winner will be the one to ascend to the throne.

So it is now that with a submissive--yet handsome--Demon Prince destined to be king at her side, the powerful Yayoi must not only face an unsure fate and find the stolen spirit wheel key, she must do it all while keeping herself safe from the demons who desire to gain the throne through her demise.

Mugen Spiral is a fun read. The main character, Yayoi, is a tough gal with enough of a personality to offset her counterpart, Ura, who comes across as the handsome rogue quite easily, even in his cute cat form.

The art itself is good, with first-rate line work and attention to detail. The reader doesn't get lost in the 'busy scenes' and is able to follow the storyline without difficulty. There are a few informative little panels that offer additional insight into the author and the characters which are nice additions to the work, even if they are somewhat hard to read (with older eyes).

Thematically, it presents with strong InuYahsa aspects (as in the beaded necklace that controls him) and characterization (seems to hate her but does her really) but not so much that it detracts from the work.

Note: Conservative parents of younger readers may want to peruse this work before purchasing.

On the whole, Mugen Spiral Volume 1 is a quick and entertaining fantasy romance read -- and being it's limited to only two editions, a it's a definite plus for rabid readers who can't wait to learn how the story ends!

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